- Bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture maintains consistent illumination throughout the zoom range and suits working in low-light conditions as well as affords increased control over depth of field for working with selective focus techniques.
- Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.
- The front and rear elements feature a protective Fluorine coating to resist fingerprints and smudges and to make cleaning significantly easier.
- One UD (Ultra-Low Dispersion) element and one Super UD element help to minimize chromatic aberrations and color fringing in order to provide greater clarity and color accuracy.
- Two aspherical elements are used to correct spherical aberrations and distortion for improved sharpness and accurate rendering.
- An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) has been applied to lens elements to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting for maintained light transmission and high contrast in strong lighting conditions.
- An Optical Image Stabilizer helps to minimize the appearance of camera shake by five stops.
- Enables working in low-light conditions and with slower shutter speeds.
- Three discrete IS modes are available: standard single-shot mode, a panning-optimized mode, and a mode that only activates the Image Stabilizer during the exposure.
- Configurable Control Ring can be used to adjust a variety of exposure settings, including aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation.
- Focus Limiter switch allows selecting subject focal range.
- Auto Focus / Manual Focus selector switch
- image Stabilizer switch and Stabilizer Mode Selector switch.
- Weather-resistant design protects against dust and moisture to enable use in inclement conditions.
- L-Series level vibration shock resistance in the lens barrel, helping to maintain focus and settings even in turbulent situations.
- Removable rotating tripod collar is included and benefits working with the lens atop a tripod or monopod.